Episode #110 | 9.20.22
Jennifer Hudson: An American Idol, a Triple Homicide, and Undying Faith
In this episode
Jennifer Hudson shocked her hometown of Chicago when she was eliminated from American Idol in 2004, only to surpass everyone’s expectations when she later raked in awards and rave reviews for her role in Dreamgirls. Yet grief washed over Chicago again when her mother and brother were found slain in their Englewood home, and the smallest member of the Hudson family was declared missing. Their tragic story begins with betrayal and ends with a heartbreak so severe, only Jennifer’s long-standing faith could put it back together.
Sources
I Got This: How I Changed My Ways and Lost What Weighed Me Down by Jennifer Hudson
Jennifer Hudson: Behind the Music (VH1)
Murder in the Family: Jennifer Hudson
‘Idol’ Finalist Jennifer Hudson Believes She Was Robbed (MTV)
Jennifer Hudson’s Sister Pleads For Her Missing Son; FBI Joins Search (MTV)
Jennifer Hudson Offers $100,000 Reward for Nephew’s Safe Return (MTV)
Amber Alert Issued for Jennifer Hudson’s Nephew (All Hip-Hop)
The Hudson Family Slayings: Crime Scene Photos (Los Angeles Times)
Cops Describe Finding Slain Hudson Family Members (NBC Chicago)
Hudson Takes Stand in Murder Trial (ABC News)
Balfour Gets 3 Lifetime Sentences for Hudson Murders (NBC Chicago)
Jennifer Hudson: “Everything Is A Lesson” (CBS News)
Oprah’s Next Chapter: Jennifer Hudson (Oprah Winfrey Network)
Jennifer Hudson on Her Career and Musical Process (Wall Street Journal)
Jennifer Hudson tells Oprah she's forgiven family's killer: 'It's not his fault (Today)
Jennifer Hudson speaks out on gun violence and Chi-Raq (Entertainment Weekly)
Jennifer Hudson on Accepting Her ‘Chiraq’ Role: ‘As My Mother Said, Take Care of Home’ (Essence)
How Spike Lee landed Jennifer Hudson for new film 'Chi-Raq', a role that hit close to home for actress who lost loved ones to gun violence (New York Daily News)
Jennifer Hudson on 'Chi-raq' character: 'I have the same story' (New York Daily News)
Community Profile: Englewood (UChicago Medicine)
The Church She Calls Home (Guideposts)
Disgraceland is a podcast about musicians getting away with murder and behaving very badly. It melds music history, true crime and transgressive fiction. Disgraceland is not journalism. Disgraceland is entertainment. Entertainment inspired by true events. However, certain scenes, characters and names are sometimes fictionalized for dramatic purposes.
Music
Hosted by Jake Brennan.
Written by Victoria Wasylak.
Copy editing by Pat Healy.
Mixed and Engineered by Sean Cahalin.
Score by Jake Brennan.
Disgraceland theme song, "Crenshaw Space Boogie" written and produced by Jake Brennan. Performed by Jake Brennan, Bryce Kanzer, Jay Cannava and Evan Kenney. Mixed and engineered by Adam Taylor.
*illustrations by Avi Spivak @avispivak